One officer in the NYPD’s 1st Precinct has tested positive for COVID-19, and 17 officers from the precinct have been sent home because of possible exposure, Fox News has learned.
In all, 31 officers have called out sick at the precinct, including the 17 coronavirus-related cases, representing a substantial 17 percent of the precinct’s staff.
An NYPD bulletin sent to officers says officers who have had close contact — less than 6 feet for more than a few minutes — with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 “can keep working.” The NYPD recommends officers call the medical division and call out sick only if they start to develop symptoms such as coughing or a fever.
One officer lamented that leadership did not alert everyone in the precinct that one of their colleagues had tested positive, potentially exposing other officers who work at the downtown Manhattan location.